County Championship: Derbyshire and Glamorgan draw thriller

Sam Northeast joined Glamorgan on a three-year deal in October 2021

Derbyshire and Glamorgan battled out a draw after an improbable thrilling finish at Derby.

Set 331 to win in 55 overs, Glamorgan finished on 310 for eight.

Marnus Labuschagne's 85 and Sam Northeast's 81 allowed Glamorgan to press for victory before Ryan Sidebottom took key wickets.

Derbyshire's Brooke Guest completed a pair of centuries with a career-best 138 while Wayne Madsen hit 135.

The declaration on 349 for three looked conservative but set up a last-session drama.

Guest, 24, was the first Derbyshire player to achieve the feat against Glamorgan and the first wicket-keeper to do so since 1896.

Guest and the busier Madsen were content to accumulate through the morning session, but accelerated dramatically after lunch to allow Billy Godleman to declare when Guest was caught behind off Andrew Salter, and allow his bowlers a chance of dismissing the visitors.

Suranga Lakmal duly obliged in his first over with Salter edging a fine delivery to a diving Leus du Plooy at slip.

With an attacking field in place, David Lloyd and Marnus Labuschagne scored quickly but Derbyshire missed key chances when Labuschagne was dropped at slip off Ryan Sidebottom on 26 and by keeper Guest on 74.

Sidebottom did win an lbw decision against Lloyd, on 49 off 55 balls, to the disappointment of the Glamorgan captain who could face a disciplinary warning for a dressing-room reaction.

The seamer eventually had Labuschagne caught at cover for a sparky 85 off 87 balls but Kiran Carlson attacked bravely in his 37 while Chris Cooke kept up the momentum with a rapid 32.

Glamorgan got the target down to 32 off four overs as Northeast provided an experienced anchor role for his new side.

But with Anuj Dal and Sidebottom claiming vital victims, they gave up the chase when Northeast was eighth out and blocked out the last two overs.

Glamorgan batter Sam Northeast told BBC Sport Wales:

"It was a great finish, the game was going nowhere this morning before Derbyshire made a good declaration which kept us interested.

"We thought we had it in the bag at times and we were slightly disappointed in the changing room because it felt like we were really close, but it was a really good four days of cricket and credit to both sides.

"Marnus and Lloydy got off to a good start which meant we could go for the win, then we got a bit of momentum but we kept losing a few wickets and it wasn't to be despite a good effort by the boys."

Glamorgan coach Matthew Maynard added:

"It was a fantastic game, they left us a stiff target but it was a good wicket and we gave it a good crack. If we'd had another wicket or two in hand with three or four overs to go, you never know what could have happened.

"It was a great advertisement for the county game, both sides have got quality players and a lot of them showed that quality during the four days, it was a fair result."

Derbyshire head of cricket Mickey Arthur told BBC Radio Derby:

"It was a great final day, when we made the declaration I didn't expect us to be in the position we were at the back end. But it's been a wonderful game for us for so many reasons with the bat, but our skills with the ball and crucial catches let us down and that's a work-on.

"(Two hundreds) is testimony to how hard Brooke Guest has worked, when I arrived in January Brooke was the first guy I saw in the nets, he wanted the number three role, and he's got a really good routine to get things done.

"Suranga has been wonderful the way he's led, embraced his role, spoken to our younger players but the one thing he didn't have was a five-for, so getting one was just rewards for the effort he's put in."